“Do you take this person to be your lawfully ….”
Marriage, the solemnisation of a relationship.
Relationship, the ultimate in communication? Or, was that dancing or sex?
I can never remember which.
What type of relationship do Bloggers have with Pharma? What type of relationships do Pharma have with their communication experts? How do Pharma relate to their Clients?
As the world of western capitalism confronts the perceived ‘greed’ that is purported to have driven financial markets to the abyss, a new style of business is emerging – PARTNERING.
“Love your partners profit” said Tony Lendrum, a world expert on all things partnering.
Do Pharma Clients feel they are in partnership with Pharma? Do they love Pharma profits or at least their breakthrough successes?
Organisations such as The Partnering Initiative are evangelising. Even Cambridge University and the United Nations System Staff College have educational programmes.
But is Pharma thinking about how this new …..
But is Pharma thinking about how this new business and communication paradigm may be relevant?
The Essence of Partnering
Partnering can fall into the same categories as education and religion:
Most have an opinion; many believe they are experts; few have the knowledge.
Rackham suggests that Patterning’s critical success factors are:
(See Getting Partnering Right. Pp 12)
Lendrum identifies essential Principles, Values, Concepts and Practices that are required to make Partnering successful. (See: The Strategic Partnering Handbook Pp – 132)
Do Pharma and its Clients satisfy the critical success factors? Are their Principles, etc aligned?
Current Pharma – Client Relationships
Using Lendrum’s taxonomy of business relationships one might characterise the relationship between Pharma and its Clients as a mix of “Tribal,” “Trading” and “Basic.”
(See The Strategic Partnering Pocketbook. Pp. 12-18)
This situation is far removed from “Community” business relationships where common vision, transparency, trust, and integrity are all present.
As a Pharma Agent how often is one confronted by a lack of Pharma Partnership?
Too often I have had to deal with Pharma brand team and senior executive indifference. (Which I know was not personal.)
Partner – No. The Lowest Communication Life Form – Yes.
I wish it were the exception, and there have been truly inspirational exceptions, rather than the rule.
Can Pharma really treat its Agents in one way and its Clients in another?
Are Pharma – Client Partnerships Desirable?
One of the principal benefits to partnering is sustainability.
Are the current Pharma-Client relationships sustainable?
Would Pharma and its Clients appreciate benefits such as:
Lower Costs; Reduced Product/Service Development Time; Leveraging of Joint Knowledge; etc - the list is endless.
What impact could a Pharma-Client “Community” Partnering mindset have upon the health systems that provide the context for those relationships?
Are Pharma – Client Partnerships Possible?
This is where the current stakeholder mindsets present potential problems.
Pharma, Physicians, Payers, Regulators and Health Consumers don’t necessarily share the same Principles, Values, etc.
Simple principles such as trust, transparency and integrity arguably need to be addressed.
Is it possible that Partnership, as a driving force in Pharma-Client communication, could be a catalyst?
What’s Partnering Got To Do With Digital Communication?
The essence of Web 2.0 and many other digital communication initiatives is community.
Open dialogue, the development of trust, transparency, etc must be present if the medium is to deliver its potential.
All of the facets of Partnering are common to 21st century digital communication.
Where to Start?
Could Pharma consider revisiting its business and communication philosophy, its objectives, the principles and values it brings to its business?
If these fundamentals could be re-evaluated, personnel live by them and bring them to the fore through digital communications strategies – who knows what could be possible.
A marriage between Pharma and its Clients? Perhaps Not.
But, at least they could sleep together and enjoy relating?
(Tomorrows Blog – Pharma’s Digital Score Card)
Comments